DeSales University — Attraction in Upper Saucon

DeSales University was a fantastic experience overall. I lived on campus for 4 years and commuted for one. There is a lot of things that can be said of the education and experience that you can have at this Catholic, liberal arts school but I will focus primarily on factors that someone just casually browsing might be looking out for in a school. I started off as Theater, then Digital Art, then finally Philosophy. The campus is beautiful and very safe. The majority of the professors are professional and thoroughly experienced within their fields. This was definitely the case with theater.

The major itself was demanding but encompassed a lot of material. I switched because there wasn't a track for voice acting specifically (which is what I was interested in and they did offer a class on the voice which I took but nothing past that).

The food was good but could have been more varied. They have been making efforts to address that though.

The freshman dorms are average but the newer dorms are particularly comfortable.

Given that it's a small private school, there isn't a tremendous amount of diversity in ethnicity or income levels but it is present. That seemed to a pretty big factor regarding the way the student body interacted. I've made friends of different levels within both categories but it is very easy for the majority of the students to lean towards high school-like social tendencies which would be my biggest criticism (however, that doesn't make or break the school and over time is negligible.)

The only other concern I would note is transportation to surrounding resources and entertainment. Without a car or a friend with a car, it's difficult to get to a store, movie theater, mall, restaurant, or any other business or establishment. However, DeSales makes it a point to provide transportation to Target, the movie theater, and other local attractions every month or couple times a month. In addition, if there was a problem like this that you would like to be addressed, the Student Activities and Residence Life staff are willing to work with you to the best of their abilities.

There's a lot of smaller details that I can get in to but overall, if you're looking for a safe environment with a well trained staff and a major appropriate for you AND you can afford it (which is a concern for many but I received a lot of financial aid so it is possible), DeSales is a school to be enjoyed where you can develop a strong...

2025 Edit: Do not go here if you want to be Catholic. That ship has sailed.

The Campus is clean, and well maintained. The food isn't too bad. But aside from these constants, you will have a different experience depending on your worldview going in. The theology and philosophy courses you will be required to take will be authentically Catholic, which will either encourage or enrage you depending on if you are a practicing Catholic or not. Other general ed's will be standard, but sufficient.

DeSales University is going to be a decidedly different experience depending on your major as well. If your major is in the arts and you are a practicing Catholic, you will have a tough time since most of the people in that major will be agnostic or atheist (and professors may be geared towards that). However-the actual theory and practical application of the discipline you are studying is going to be very good and useful.

The people you meets will likely be very nice, and you won't have a tough time finding friends if you try.

The faith life of campus is pretty good, with various to groups to encourage you. There's a small community of students who attend daily mass, which is always a help. The Mass itself however (Sunday and weekday), leaves a bit to be desired. The music especially will sound a bit 1970's, instead of having the timeless characteristic of a liturgically accurate mass. Gregorian Chant or Polyphony would sure help here, but the choir director is a protestant at the moment (for some reason) so that is unlikely.

All in all, whether you are a practicing Catholic or an unabashed pagan you will have some issues with DeSales, but the academics themselves are good and you will likely be prepared for your field...

It seems incredible that they are a university with "Christian principles" and today February 22, 2021, they announced a snow day and did not cancel classes or offer them online to students who commute to campus. My daughter is in college and she cannot come back to my home because it is snowing very hard and she drives a small car that cannot be driven in the snow because it may cause and or have an accident. You should be more empathetic with the students who commute. It seems that they are only interested in the money and not in the lives of the students. And now you close campus at 3:00pm and my daughter can’t drive to my home. Who...